diff --git a/spiffworkflow-backend/bin/local_development_environment_setup b/spiffworkflow-backend/bin/local_development_environment_setup
index 138ed4e3..95286349 100755
--- a/spiffworkflow-backend/bin/local_development_environment_setup
+++ b/spiffworkflow-backend/bin/local_development_environment_setup
@@ -35,18 +35,25 @@ elif [[ "$process_model_dir" == "localopenid" ]]; then
   export SPIFFWORKFLOW_BACKEND_AUTH_CONFIGS__0__client_id="spiffworkflow-backend"
   export SPIFFWORKFLOW_BACKEND_AUTH_CONFIGS__0__client_secret="JXeQExm0JhQPLumgHtIIqf52bDalHz0q"
   export SPIFFWORKFLOW_BACKEND_PERMISSIONS_FILE_NAME="example.yml"
-else
-  export SPIFFWORKFLOW_BACKEND_AUTH_CONFIGS__0__identifier="keycloak_internal"
-  export SPIFFWORKFLOW_BACKEND_AUTH_CONFIGS__0__label="I am a Core Contributor"
-  export SPIFFWORKFLOW_BACKEND_AUTH_CONFIGS__0__uri="http://localhost:7002/realms/spiffworkflow"
-  export SPIFFWORKFLOW_BACKEND_AUTH_CONFIGS__0__client_id="spiffworkflow-backend"
-  export SPIFFWORKFLOW_BACKEND_AUTH_CONFIGS__0__client_secret="JXeQExm0JhQPLumgHtIIqf52bDalHz0q"
 
-  export SPIFFWORKFLOW_BACKEND_AUTH_CONFIGS__1__identifier="openid"
-  export SPIFFWORKFLOW_BACKEND_AUTH_CONFIGS__1__label="I am a vendor"
-  export SPIFFWORKFLOW_BACKEND_AUTH_CONFIGS__1__uri="http://localhost:$port/openid"
-  export SPIFFWORKFLOW_BACKEND_AUTH_CONFIGS__1__client_id="spiffworkflow-backend"
-  export SPIFFWORKFLOW_BACKEND_AUTH_CONFIGS__1__client_secret="JXeQExm0JhQPLumgHtIIqf52bDalHz0q"
+# else  # uncomment to test multiple auths
+#   export SPIFFWORKFLOW_BACKEND_AUTH_CONFIGS__0__identifier="keycloak_internal"
+#   export SPIFFWORKFLOW_BACKEND_AUTH_CONFIGS__0__label="I am a Core Contributor"
+#   export SPIFFWORKFLOW_BACKEND_AUTH_CONFIGS__0__uri="http://localhost:7002/realms/spiffworkflow"
+#   export SPIFFWORKFLOW_BACKEND_AUTH_CONFIGS__0__client_id="spiffworkflow-backend"
+#   export SPIFFWORKFLOW_BACKEND_AUTH_CONFIGS__0__client_secret="JXeQExm0JhQPLumgHtIIqf52bDalHz0q"
+#
+#   export SPIFFWORKFLOW_BACKEND_AUTH_CONFIGS__1__identifier="openid"
+#   export SPIFFWORKFLOW_BACKEND_AUTH_CONFIGS__1__label="I am a vendor"
+#   export SPIFFWORKFLOW_BACKEND_AUTH_CONFIGS__1__uri="http://localhost:$port/openid"
+#   export SPIFFWORKFLOW_BACKEND_AUTH_CONFIGS__1__client_id="spiffworkflow-backend"
+#   export SPIFFWORKFLOW_BACKEND_AUTH_CONFIGS__1__client_secret="JXeQExm0JhQPLumgHtIIqf52bDalHz0q"
+
+# else # uncomment to test specfied
+#   export SPIFFWORKFLOW_BACKEND_OPEN_ID_SERVER_URL="http://localhost:7002/realms/spiffworkflow"
+#   export SPIFFWORKFLOW_BACKEND_OPEN_ID_CLIENT_ID="spiffworkflow-backend"
+#   export SPIFFWORKFLOW_BACKEND_OPEN_ID_CLIENT_SECRET_KEY="JXeQExm0JhQPLumgHtIIqf52bDalHz0q"
+
 fi
 
 if [[ -z "${SPIFFWORKFLOW_BACKEND_ENV:-}" ]]; then
diff --git a/spiffworkflow-backend/src/spiffworkflow_backend/config/default.py b/spiffworkflow-backend/src/spiffworkflow_backend/config/default.py
index 70349f71..d07bb688 100644
--- a/spiffworkflow-backend/src/spiffworkflow_backend/config/default.py
+++ b/spiffworkflow-backend/src/spiffworkflow_backend/config/default.py
@@ -1,5 +1,6 @@
 import re
 from os import environ
+from typing import Any
 
 from spiffworkflow_backend.config.normalized_environment import normalized_environment
 
@@ -8,7 +9,7 @@ from spiffworkflow_backend.config.normalized_environment import normalized_envir
 #   is a benefit of the status quo and having them all in this file explicitly.
 
 
-def config_from_env(variable_name: str, *, default: str | bool | int | None = None) -> None:
+def config_from_env(variable_name: str, *, default: str | bool | int | None = None) -> Any:
     value_from_env: str | None = environ.get(variable_name)
     if value_from_env == "":
         value_from_env = None
@@ -30,6 +31,7 @@ def config_from_env(variable_name: str, *, default: str | bool | int | None = No
     # the value set in the variable here. It is better to set the variables like
     # normal in them so they can take effect.
     globals()[variable_name] = value_to_return
+    return value_to_return
 
 
 configs_with_structures = normalized_environment(environ)
@@ -91,15 +93,22 @@ config_from_env("SPIFFWORKFLOW_BACKEND_OPEN_ID_TENANT_SPECIFIC_FIELDS")
 if "SPIFFWORKFLOW_BACKEND_AUTH_CONFIGS" in configs_with_structures:
     SPIFFWORKFLOW_BACKEND_AUTH_CONFIGS = configs_with_structures["SPIFFWORKFLOW_BACKEND_AUTH_CONFIGS"]
 else:
-    SPIFFWORKFLOW_BACKEND_AUTH_CONFIGS = [
-        {
-            "identifier": "default",
-            "label": "Default",
-            "uri": "http://localhost:7002/realms/spiffworkflow",
-            "client_id": "spiffworkflow-backend",
-            "client_secret": "JXeQExm0JhQPLumgHtIIqf52bDalHz0q",
-        }
-    ]
+    # do this for now for backwards compatibility
+    url_config = config_from_env("SPIFFWORKFLOW_BACKEND_OPEN_ID_SERVER_URL")
+    if url_config is not None:
+        SPIFFWORKFLOW_BACKEND_OPEN_ID_SERVER_URL = url_config
+        config_from_env("SPIFFWORKFLOW_BACKEND_OPEN_ID_CLIENT_ID")
+        config_from_env("SPIFFWORKFLOW_BACKEND_OPEN_ID_CLIENT_SECRET_KEY")
+    else:
+        SPIFFWORKFLOW_BACKEND_AUTH_CONFIGS = [
+            {
+                "identifier": "default",
+                "label": "Default",
+                "uri": "http://localhost:7002/realms/spiffworkflow",
+                "client_id": "spiffworkflow-backend",
+                "client_secret": "JXeQExm0JhQPLumgHtIIqf52bDalHz0q",
+            }
+        ]
 
 ### logs
 # loggers to use is a comma separated list of logger prefixes that we will be converted to list of strings